“Masamichi!! Why are you being so reckless?”
“It was something that even I could do. Here.”
He handed Shino the utility knife he had kept securely in his hands.
A glance was all it took for Shino to understand. He nodded and said simply, “Well done.”
Shino praised me…!
Unable to believe it, Masamichi stared into Shino’s handsome face.
Shino looked at Masamichi and asked rapidly, “Do you trust me? No matter what I do, without a shred of doubt?”
Masamichi nodded.
“I repeat. No matter what I do?”
Confident, Masamichi nodded again.
“I do trust you. I trust you, Shino…because I really love you, and everything about me belongs to you.”
Shino nodded, had Masamichi sit on the ground, stood before him, and held the utility knife with both hands.
“Don’t doubt me. Don’t run. Accept everything. If you don’t, the spell won’t be broken, and you will die at my hand.”
Despite the terrifying declaration, Masamichi’s heart was filled with joy.
Masamichi wasn’t afraid, and he didn’t hesitate.
It was because those were feelings that were going through Shino’s mind.
The usual calm, collected look on his face was slightly crooked.
The utility knife was coated with Kagiroi’s magical power, which could be used to undo the spell cast on Masamichi. It was a key element that Masamichi had obtained by hurting Kagiroi himself.
But Shino, who had to do the deed, feared that something might go wrong…or that Hayakawa’s information may not be accurate—in which case, he would end up killing Masamichi with his own hands.
He would never admit it, but Masamichi was acutely aware of the struggle going through his mind.
“It’s okay, Shino. I believe in you. Go ahead… Do it,” Masamichi said, feeling the smile appear on his aching face.
“…Here goes!”
The moment he saw his servant’s smile, the hesitation disappeared from Shino’s face. Masamichi nodded and stared straight ahead at the sharp tip of the knife.
The next moment, the utility knife that Shino had raised over his head was thrust at the top of Masamichi’s head at a speed so fast, it was invisible to the naked eye…but it did not stab him.
For some reason, Masamichi’s body seemed to have melted into the air. The sharp blade slid smoothly through his body and was thrust into the ground.
“…It broke,” Shino murmured.
“Oh… Oh. Oh!”
Masamichi suddenly became dizzy. The ground seemed to move away from him, and the world began to shrink. He heard strange crackling and popping sounds.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he braced himself and somehow managed not to fall over, then slowly opened his eyes…and yelped.
Indeed, Kagiroi’s spell had been broken.
He was back in his adult body…and it only made sense when he thought about it, but the clothes he’d been wearing had been torn to shreds and were scattered at his feet. He was now completely naked.
“Whoa!”
“Put this on,” Shino said as Masamichi turned every shade of red with embarrassment and tossed him his long coat.
After Masamichi put it on and had settled down somewhat, Kagiroi, who had apparently broken the barrier that Hayakawa had set up, walked toward them.
Having played his role, Hayakawa slid away from the three of them. It was a wise move since he had no means of fighting against Kagiroi.
Shino stepped in front of Masamichi, protecting him, as Kagiroi shrugged in his smug way.
It appeared that he didn’t intend to fight them that night.
“I’ve had enough of this farce. That said, it’s a bit of a letdown, Shino Tatsumi. You now have a peculiar human being on your side. Where’s your pride as a specter?”
He may not want to fight, but he didn’t forget to provoke Shino.
Shino retorted coldly with anger in his voice, “Shut up. I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but I’ll make you pay for what you did to my servant. I won’t be choosy about the method.” His tone was determined, and Kagiroi’s beautiful face contorted with disgust.
“Ha! What could a failure of a specter do when he has to rely on help from a human? You can cross your fingers and watch what happens. When I finish everything I have in mind, I will tear apart and eat your precious servant in front of you as a celebratory meal. See you later, Shino.”
“Kagiroi…!!”
Before Shino could take a step forward, Kagiroi disappeared.
“I said you did well, but how dare you! Why didn’t you tell me?!”
Masamichi winced as Shino scolded him.
“I’m sorry. I thought you’d stop me if I told you.”
“Of course I would have stopped you! You not only outwitted your master but also tested me! You would have died if I hadn’t arrived in time. I noticed you’d gotten outside the barrier when Hayakawa came and said you were acting a little strange.”
Surprised, Masamichi looked at Hayakawa, who was finally walking toward them.
“When I said I’d see you tomorrow, you didn’t return the farewell as you usually do. I thought I was putting too much meaning to that, but to be on the safe side—”
“…Wow. And you came here with Shino.”
“Uh-huh. An agent must support his practitioners,” he said with a smile, bowed, and then slowly turned his back to Masamichi and Shino.
Appreciating his consideration, Masamichi faced Shino.
“Thanks. I knew you would come.”
Shino’s face scrunched up again…with obvious embarrassment this time.
But rather than replying as Masamichi expected, he called out to the agent, who was standing a discreet distance away.
“Hayakawa! Set up the barrier again. It doesn’t matter if it’s weak.”
Hayakawa turned around and tilted his head questioningly. “Well, certainly, sir, but are you expecting something more to come…?”
“I will be administering a punishment.”
Shino then grabbed Masamichi’s coat by the collar and pushed him to the ground.
“Whoa!!”
The specter kneeled down, pulled up the hem of the coat so Masamichi’s bare bottom was showing, and slapped it.
Unlike Kagiroi, he was surely holding back to some extent, but a specter’s strength against bare skin was not to be underestimated.
It hurt, and Masamichi screamed.
“Ow! Shino, that hurts! I’m sorry I tested you without telling you about it, but you don’t have to punish me like this.”
“Shut up. Tokifuyu said this was what you did when you scolded a child. It’s plenty good enough for you, since you were a five-year-old until a minute ago!”
“D-don’t tell me…Tokifuyu spanked you, too?”
“Shut up!”
As Shino spanked his bottom, Masamichi looked up at his master’s face, saw his embarrassment, and almost burst out laughing.
“He did spank you. Just like you’re doing to me.”
“Quiet. Don’t laugh while you’re being punished!”
“But it’s hilarious.”
Shino’s and Masamichi’s voices were all that echoed in the barrier, which no one could come near, where no sound could escape.
Hayakawa thought twice about maintaining his barrier for something like this…but didn’t say it. He just stood there with a smile on his face and watched the master and his servant continue their rather playful punishment.